DOCTRINE

The Word of God, the Bible, is the only supernatural source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of mankind’s current and future role as key players in God’s creation. God’s inspired word is conclusive and incontrovertible, a treasure of freeing truth and practical principles waiting to liberate and empower whosoever will pursue it in diligent study. Hear the Apostle Paul’s exhortation on “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”:

“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine … Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth … For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17)

Paul’s instructions to “be diligent” … “a worker” … “rightly dividing”, a command in the Greek, calls us well beyond a casual approach to scripture. This is conscientious toiling study which handles the word of God skillfully producing clear accurate straightforward truth. Our tenets of faith must be based on sound scriptural exegesis. New Testament doctrine must be substantiated by two or three New Testament scriptures interpreted literally, within the context, and in full harmony with other scriptures. A common interpretive mistake, and the focus of this study, is the misapplication of Old Testament passages to create New Testament doctrine.

Care must be taken in carrying over Old Testament scriptures to substantiate New Testament doctrine: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Heb. 1:1-2). The Old Testament records God speaking to us in times past by the Law and the Prophets, and the New Testament records God speaking to us by His Son… the revelation of the Son. It is therefore contextually correct to interpret Hebrews 1:1 and 2 as directly referencing the Old Covenant of The Law – The Old Testament (the Old Will), and the New Covenant of Grace – The New Testament (the New Will) respectively, since the broad context of the whole book of Hebrews is the comparison of these two covenants and the replacement of the lesser, the Old Testament Mosaic Covenant of the Law, with the greater, the New Testament Covenant of Grace. Aside from the wisdom books, Psalms and Proverbs, and a very small amount of end time prophetic scriptures, the Old Testament is historical in nature, valuable for “types and shadows” of New Testament doctrine, and understanding the nature of God through His dealings with Israel His chosen people.

The foundation of each covenant is a book, and in each book it is God speaking. The primary reason there are two books is to define these two uniquely different covenants, which are people and time specific: In Genesis 12 God splits mankind into two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles, and makes covenant, the Mosaic Covenant of the Law, with the Jews which lasts until the cross.  Since John the Baptist (Lk. 16:16) God’s covenant has been with “whosoever will”, a Covenant of Grace mediated by Jesus, through which Jews and Gentiles are one people. It is, therefore, essential the foundational scriptures for doctrine under the New Covenant of Grace be found in the “New Will”, the New Testament.

The New Testament is God speaking forth the revelation of His Son.  The prophets spoke as mere mouthpieces, but when the Son spoke it was God Himself speaking, and in a sense it is God being revealed By His Son in and through the Son’s life, the Son’s message, the Son’s redemptive work and the Son’s  return to establish His (i.e., God’s) eternal Kingdom. The New Testament reveals to mankind God’s redemptive plan established before the foundations of the world with the foreordained sacrifice of the Son of His love, that we, the “us” of Hebrews 1:2, might be partakers of salvation and know eternal fellowship with God through His Covenant of Grace –Indescribable Grace.

THE REVELATION OF THE SON